Pepper named ‘05C37-3’

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a new and distinct pepper plant known as  Capisum annuum  L. ‘05C37-3’, which displays unique pumpkin-shaped orange fruit unlike that of the standard pepper plants. Plants of ‘05C37-3’ are characterized by black foliage and small pumpkin-shaped upright oriented solitary black fruits that mature orange.

Genus and species of the claimed plant: Capisum annuum.

Variety denomination: ‘05C37-3’.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns a new and distinct pepper plant known as Capisumannuum L. ‘05C37-3’.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED PRIOR ART

Several commercial ornamental peppers are known. Ornamental peppersrange in size and shape from short, compact plants with piquin sizedfruits, such as ‘Holiday Cheer’, to plants as tall as 1 meter with fullsized fruits, such as ‘NuMex Mirasol’. Nearly all ornamental peppershave been primarily developed based upon unique fruit characteristics.‘05C37-3’ may be distinguished from all of the ornamental peppers knowto us based upon its unique fruit shape and foliage color. ‘05C37-3’ haspumpkin-shaped orange fruit on an upright plant with black foliage.Other peppers may have orange fruit, such ‘Tangerine Dream’, but are notpumpkin-shaped. Other peppers may have black foliage, such as ‘BlackPearl’ but do not have orange pumpkin-shaped fruit.

The characteristics of ‘05C37-3’ were compared to the most similar planton the market- ‘Black Pearl’ (Plant Variety Protection Certificatenumber 200500020). ‘Black Pearl’ plants are smaller (45 cm in diameterand 31 cm in height), with larger (8.2 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width)but similar shaped (simple, entire, symmetrical, and lanceolate with anapiculate tip) leaves and leaf color (Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart number 202A). Flowers of ‘Black Pearl’ are similar in size(average 2.1 cm) and color (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chartnumber 81A) to ‘05C37-3’. Fruit of ‘Black Pearl’ are very different infruit shape (round and average 1.6 cm in diameter) and mature fruitcolor (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number 46A) and areborne in clusters (5-7 fruit per cluster).

ORIGIN OF THE NEW PLANT

The new pepper plant originated from a controlled cross at the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Servicegreenhouses in Beltsville, Md. Black foliage is derived fromintercrosses of the USDA germplasm release 90C44, a selection from theheirloom tabasco-type pepper, ‘Royal Black’ and the bell-type pepper‘Summer Sweet 860’and squash-type pepper ‘Tennessee Cheese’. Thepedigree is complex (FIG. 1) and none of the parents were protected.‘05C37-3’ recombines many different characteristics from all of thedifferent parents and does not resemble any single parent. For exampleplants of ‘Tennessee Cheese’ produce flattened fasciated immature greenfruit that ripen to red on green foliaged plants; while plants of ‘RoyalBlack’ produce tabasco shape immature fruit that ripen to red onvariegated green and purple foliaged plants; and plants of ‘Summer Sweet860’ produce typical large ‘bell’ pepper shaped fruit which ripen tored. ‘90C44’ was derived from interbreeding a diverse collection ofsmall-fruited pungent germplasm from India. Most of the seedlings inthis cross had green to purple variegated foliage. ‘90C44’ was uniqueamong the progeny in having solid purple foliage. The genes for theblack foliage of ‘05C37-3’ were derived from intercrosses of ‘90C44’ and‘Royal Black’. Pumpkin shaped fruit of ‘05C37-3’ was derived from aninitial cross between the culinary squash-type pepper ‘Tennessee Cheese’and the culinary bell-type pepper ‘Summer Sweet 860’. ‘05C37-3’ is an F₄selection. Early generation selection focused on development of parentallines with small fasciated fruit and black foliage, respectively,followed by integration of these fruit and foliage characteristics intoa single genotype in succeeding generations. ‘05C37-3’ has a very uniquefruit shape that is not seen in any commercial or wild pepper.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW PLANT

This application relates to a new and distinct pepper plant known asCapisum annuum L. ‘05C37-3’. The following characteristic isoutstanding: When compared to all other pepper plants known to us,‘05C37-3’ has a unique combination of small orange-colored,pumpkin-shaped fruit on a plant with a compact upright growth habitatcombined with black foliage.

The following characteristics are useful in distinguishing this plantand can be useful for plant identification:

-   -   1. Plants produce greater than three basal shoots that grow        upright forming a compact growth habit (50 cm height and 88 cm        diameter).    -   2. Plants produce numerous small pumpkin-shaped (1.7 cm long and        2.4 cm wide) upright oriented solitary black fruits that mature        orange.    -   3. Plants produce black foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show typical characteristics of the newplant.

FIG. 1 shows the parentage of ‘05C37-3’.

FIG. 2 shows a mature plant of ‘05C37-3’ in September 2007.

FIG. 3 shows mature orange and immature black fruit and black leaves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new plant, together withthe plant's morphological characteristics. The characteristics of theplant were compared to the similar ‘Black Pearl’ (HortScience,40:1571-1573). The description is based upon plants grown in the fieldat Beltsville, Md. about 90 days post-transplanting.

‘05C37-3’ is a diploid (2n=2x=24) herbaceous annual. ‘05C37-3 hasperformed uniformly in multiple trials. Leaves and stems are glabrousand glossy. Leaves are simple, entire, symmetrical, and lanceolate withan apiculate tip. Mature leaves average 5.5 cm in length (range: 5.0 to6.0 cm) and 2.5 cm in width (range: 2.5 to 2.6 cm). Petiole lengthaverages 4.3 cm (range: 3.8 to 5.0 cm). Adaxial leaf surface is black(Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number 202A). ‘Black. Pearl’has larger, but similar shaped and colored leaves. ‘Black Pearl’ leavesaverage 8.2 cm in length (range: 7.4 to 11.0 cm) and 3.5 cm in width(range: 2.9 to 4.5 cm).

The shape of ‘05C37-3’ fruits is unique. Unlike the shape of allornamental peppers known to us, ‘05C37-3’ has pumpkin-shaped orfasciated (ridged) fruit that are black (RHS 202A) while immature andmature to orange (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number 25A)in approximately 75 days post emergence. ‘05C37-3’ fruits are solitaryand are borne upright. Fruits average 2.4 cm in diameter (range: 2.4 to2.5 cm) and 1.7 cm in length (range: 1.5 to 2.0 cm). The uprightpedicels average 1.6 cm (range: 1.4 to 1.8 cm). There are approximately96 fruit per plant and an average of 34 seed per fruit (range: 33 to36). Fruit are extremely pungent. Since ‘05C37-3’ is intended forornamental applications, Scoville pungency units were not determined.Fruit of ‘Black Pearl’ are very different in shape and mature fruitcolor and borne in clusters of 6 to 8. ‘Black Pearl’ fruit are round andaverage 1.6 cm in diameter (range: 1.3 to 1.7 cm). Immature fruit of‘Black Pearl’ are black (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number202A) and mature to red (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number46A).

‘05C37-3’ plants display a compact upright and indeterminate habit.Plants average 88 cm in diameter (range: 87 to 91 cm) and 50 cm inheight (range: 47 to 52 cm). While ‘Black-Pearl’ plants average 45 cm indiameter (range: 44 to 47 cm) and 31 cm in height.(range: 29 to 34 cm).

‘05C37-3’ flowers are self-compatible, hermaphroditic, pentamerous andhypogynous. The purple flowers (Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chartnumber 81A) average 2.1 cm in diameter (range: 2.0 to 2.2 cm) and havepurple filaments and styles. Flowers of ‘Black Pearl’ are similar.

Typical of C. annuum, ‘05C37-3’ is a warm-season crop requiring minimumdaytime temperatures of 18 to 21° C. Optimal growth is achieved athigher temperatures up to 32° C. Plants grow poorly in the 5 to 15° C.range and are frost-susceptible. Like most peppers, ‘05C37-3’ is fieldtolerant to most pests and diseases, e.g., Fusarium wilt, verticilliumwilt, aphids, and mites, based on field reaction, not in controlledtesting.

‘05C37-3’ has been asexually reproduced by vegetative shoot cuttingsover successive generations since 2005. Over that period no off-type of‘05C37-3’ has been observed or reported to us. Thus it is concluded that‘05C37-3’ is stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction. Plants were propagated atBeltsville, Md. and Dearing, Ga.

References

Royal Horticultural Society. 1966. Royal Horticultural Society colourchart. Royal Hort. Soc., London, UK.

Stommel, J. R. and P. W. Bosland. 2006. Pepper, Ornamental, Capsicumannuum, p. 561-599. In: Anderson, N. O. (ed.). Flower breeding andgenetics: Issues, challenges and opportunities for the 21st century.Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Stommel, J. R. and R. G. Griesbach. 1993. New ornamental Capsicumgermplasm: Lines 90C40, 90C44, and 90C53. HortScience 28:858-859.

Stommel, J. R. and R. G. Griesbach. 2005. Capsicum annuum L. ‘BlackPearl’. Hortscience 40:1571-1573.

1. A new and distinct pepper plant known as ‘05C37-3’ as describedherein, illustrated and identified by the characteristics set forthabove.